The present invention was the subject matter of DDP registration number 164098 which was filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Feb. 13, 1987.
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,088,313; 3,218,058; 3,245,677 and 2,917,263 the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse clamp constructions which are designed and intended to engage and restrain one structural element relative to another.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the particular purpose and function; for which they were specifically designed, these patented devices are fairly well restricted for use in the intended environments, and they are not readily interchangeable with one another, nor adapted or particularly suited for use in other disparate environments.
As was the case with the introduction of other new technologies, the advent of the microwave oven while heralded as a time and labor saving device, was also accompanied by a new set of problems for the consumer attendant upon the unique mode of operation of the microwave oven; and, the particular requirements imposed upon the user due to the characteristics of microwave energy.
Some of the more noticeable differences between cooking in a microwave oven as opposed to a conventional oven involves the fact that metal receptacles cannot be used in a microwave oven; and, that the vast majority of foodstuffs that can easily be cooked in an uncovered pot or pan in a conventional oven or on a conventional stove must now be placed in a covered or sealed plastic or glass container to prevent the splattering of foodstuffs on the interior surface of the microwave oven.
In instances wherein the consumer does not have a cover or lid for the receptacle that contains the foodstuffs, it is a common practice for an individual to place wax paper over the receptacle opening during the cooking process. Unfortunately, even in microwave ovens having a stationary support surface, the sheet of wax paper frequently becomes dislodged from the receptacle due to air currents within the oven proper and/or the impingement of the splattering foodstuffs contained within the receptacle. Needless to say, in instances wherein the microwave oven is provided with a rotary carousel, the centrifugal forces imparted to the sheet of wax paper further exacerbate this situation to the point wherein it is virtually impossible for the wax paper to maintain a covering relationship relative to the receptacle.
Based on the foregoing facts there has existed a long standing and as yet unsatisfied need for a clamping device that can be used to engage and restrain a sheet of wax paper relative to a receptacle while the receptacle is contained within a microwave oven.